Auburn Mall

Auburn Mall is an enclosed shopping center in Auburn, Massachusetts, serving the city and surrounding communities in central Massachusetts. The property is situated on Route 12 near the Massachusetts Turnpike and the I-290/I-395 interchange, giving it access to a broad regional road network. Simon Property Group manages the mall and is identified with the property in available reference material. The mall developed through several department-store changes. A Denholm's store opened on March 23, 1970, before the main mall was built in 1971. Denholm's subsequently closed after its parent company entered bankruptcy, and the building passed through several replacement department-store operators. Forbes & Wallace occupied the space in 1974, followed by The Outlet in 1976 after Forbes & Wallace failed. The Outlet closed in 1982, after which Caldor took over the location. A major modernization project in 1997 reshaped the property. The work included updated interior finishes, lighting, ceilings, entrances, restrooms, seating, signage, and food-court facilities. It also added two multilevel parking garages. Filene's joined the property as a third anchor during this redevelopment period. When Caldor closed in 1999, its former space became a Filene's home-furnishings store. Both Filene's locations were converted to Macy's in 2006, reflecting the consolidation of the Filene's chain into Macy's. The Macy's Home Store later closed on December 1, 2015. After the Macy's Home Store closure, the mall considered introducing a ten-screen cinema and restaurant complex. Those plans were approved in 2016 but were later abandoned. The vacant department-store space instead became the subject of a medical-use proposal. Reliant Medical Group announced a 20-year lease in June 2017, and its medical center opened in the former Macy's Home Store space on February 18, 2019. This conversion illustrates the mall's effort to replace traditional department-store space with services and non-retail uses. Sears, another long-standing anchor, announced in November 2019 that it would close on February 16, 2020, as part of a nationwide closure program. Its departure left Macy's as the mall's only traditional department-store anchor, while Reliant Medical Group occupied another major former-anchor space. The mall remains an operating enclosed center, but the history of anchor turnover and the conversion of retail space to medical use reflect the structural pressures affecting older regional shopping malls.

Auburn Mall's retail history began before the enclosed mall itself was completed. Denholm's opened a store at the site on March 23, 1970. The company later closed the location permanently in January 1974 after entering bankruptcy. In 1974, the former Denholm's building was converted for Forbes & Wallace, which subsequently failed. The Outlet, a department-store chain based in Providence, Rhode Island, took over the space and opened there in 1976. The Outlet closed in 1982, and Caldor then became the building's occupant. The enclosed Auburn Mall was originally built in 1971 on Route 12 in Auburn, Massachusetts. Its location near the Massachusetts Turnpike and the I-290/I-395 interchange supported a regional rather than purely local catchment area. Over time, the property relied heavily on department-store anchors, including Sears and the successive operators of the former Denholm's building. The mall underwent a substantial renovation in 1997. The project modernized the interior with new flooring, lighting, ceilings, entrances, restrooms, seating areas, and signage. It also created a new food court and added two multilevel parking garages. Filene's was introduced as a third anchor during this period. After Caldor closed in 1999, its former location was converted into a Filene's Home Store, leaving the mall with two Filene's-branded stores. In 2006, both Filene's stores were converted to Macy's as part of the broader consolidation of Filene's into Macy's. The Macy's Home Store eventually closed on December 1, 2015. The mall initially proposed filling the resulting vacancy with a ten-screen cinema and restaurant complex. The proposal was approved in April 2016, but by November of that year the mall had abandoned it and was instead pursuing a medical-center project. Reliant Medical Group announced a 20-year lease for the former Macy's Home Store space on June 16, 2017. Its center opened on February 18, 2019, converting a major retail box into a health-care facility. Sears announced on November 7, 2019, that its Auburn Mall store would close on February 16, 2020, as part of a nationwide closure plan involving 96 stores. Following the Sears departure, Macy's became the mall's only remaining traditional department-store anchor. The later history is characterized by anchor contraction, vacant or repurposed large-format space, and a continuing shift toward services alongside retail.

• 2020

  Sears closes

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  Sears closed its Auburn Mall store on February 16, leaving Macy's as the only remaining traditional department-store anchor.

• 2019

  Reliant Medical Group opens

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  Reliant Medical Group opened a center in the former Macy's Home Store space on February 18.

• 2015

  Macy's Home Store closes

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  The Macy's Home Store closed on December 1, creating a large vacant anchor space.

• 2006

  Filene's stores convert to Macy's

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  Both Filene's locations at the mall were converted to Macy's stores.

• 1999

  Caldor closes and its space becomes a Filene's Home Store

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  Caldor's former location was converted into a home-furnishings store operated under the Filene's name.

• 1997

  Major mall renovation is completed

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  A substantial renovation added parking garages, modernized interiors and entrances, improved amenities, and introduced a new food court. Filene's also joined as a third anchor.

• 1982

  Caldor replaces The Outlet

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  After The Outlet closed, Caldor occupied the department-store space.

• 1976

  The Outlet opens

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  The Outlet took over the former Forbes & Wallace location after Forbes & Wallace entered bankruptcy.

• 1974

  Forbes & Wallace takes over the former Denholm's space

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  After Denholm's closed, the building was converted for Forbes & Wallace.

• 1971

  Auburn Mall is built

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed shopping mall was originally built in Auburn, Massachusetts, on Route 12.

• 1970

  Denholm's opens at the future mall site

  [1]Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  Denholm's opened on March 23, 1970, preceding the construction of the enclosed Auburn Mall.

A regional enclosed shopping mall combining department-store retail, specialty shopping, dining, and service-oriented uses.

• Retail property · 1971

  Enclosed shopping center

  A climate-controlled enclosed mall offering retail units, common areas, customer amenities, food-court facilities, parking, and access to department-store and specialty-retail merchandise.

• Department store · 2006

  Macy's

  Macy's is the mall's remaining traditional department-store anchor. The location traces its history to the conversion of the former Filene's stores in 2006; the separate Macy's Home Store closed in 2015.

• Medical services · 2019

  Reliant Medical Group center

  A medical-services center occupying the former Macy's Home Store space. Reliant Medical Group signed a 20-year lease in 2017 and opened the center in February 2019.

• 2020

  Accommodation of anchor contractionStrategy

  Background

  Sears announced the closure of its Auburn Mall store as part of a nationwide closure program.

  Action taken

  The mall lost its Sears anchor on February 16, 2020, leaving Macy's as the only traditional department-store anchor.

  Aftermath

  The property's anchor mix became more concentrated in Macy's, with Reliant Medical Group occupying another former anchor-sized space.

  Source

• 2019

  Reliant Medical Group lease and conversionOther

  Background

  The mall needed a new use for the large space vacated by Macy's Home Store.

  Action taken

  Reliant Medical Group signed a 20-year lease and converted the former department-store space into a medical center.

  Aftermath

  The center opened on February 18, 2019, adding a substantial service-oriented use to the property.

  Source

• 2016

  Shift from entertainment redevelopment to medical useStrategy

  Background

  The planned cinema and restaurant project did not proceed after approval.

  Action taken

  The mall proposed using the former Macy's Home Store space for a medical center instead.

  Aftermath

  Reliant Medical Group later signed a long-term lease and opened in the space in 2019.

  Source

• 2015

  Proposal for a cinema and restaurant complexStrategy

  Background

  Macy's Home Store was scheduled to close, leaving a large anchor-sized space available for redevelopment.

  Action taken

  The mall proposed adding a ten-screen cinema and restaurant complex in the former store's space.

  Aftermath

  The proposal was approved in 2016 but was abandoned later that year in favor of a medical-center plan.

  Source

• 1997

  Comprehensive mall renovationStrategy

  Background

  The property required modernization of its customer facilities and circulation infrastructure while continuing to support multiple department-store anchors.

  Action taken

  The mall updated its interiors, entrances, restrooms, seating, signage, lighting, flooring, ceilings, and food court, and added two multilevel parking garages.

  Aftermath

  The renovation expanded the mall's amenities and accompanied the arrival of Filene's as a third anchor.

  Source

1. 1Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Auburn Mall official property pagesimon.com